It takes time, practice, and sometimes considerable monetary expense to develop your voice, even if you were born with golden pipes like the late Marvin Gaye, or Journey's two lead singers, Steve Perry and Arnel Pineda. To keep their gifted vocal tones and ranges, all three of these famous singers had to care for their vocal cords. Many singers have damaged their vocal cords at one time or another, and they've had to resort to home remedies or medical treatment to restore their voices. If you're a professional whose voice is vital for your career, you'll need to take extra care to get your voice back as soon as possible. If you procrastinate, you could suffer permanent damage and not only lose your smooth voice, but also your career. This is especially true if you are a professional singer. The article below explains the common causes of voice loss and hoarseness, as well as what you can do about it.

Common Causes of Voice Loss or Hoarseness

Laryngitis, or inflammation of the larynx, is the most common cause of sudden hoarseness or voice loss. This can occur for many reasons, most commonly from a cold or another infection. If you have a sore throat that lasts longer than a few days and it's accompanied by a fever, you should see a doctor. It could possibly be caused by a bacterial infection, and you may need to take antibiotics.

Excessive use of your voice can cause inflammation. If you sing or speak loudly or for long periods of time, you may experience hoarseness or voice loss.

A dry throat can lead to hoarseness and temporary voice loss. Very dry air can cause throat irritation, especially the dry air that's produced by electric heat in the winter. Sleeping with your mouth open, drinking alcoholic beverages and breathing through your mouth can also dry out your throat and lower the quality of your voice.

Smoking and other air pollutants can cause laryngitis.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause laryngitis. It occurs when stomach acid moves upward in the esophagus and irritates the larynx.

Allergies can cause throat irritation that may lead to hoarseness.

A yeast infection of the throat can cause you to lose your voice. This can be caused by a suppressed immune system or the use of inhalers for asthma.

How to Recover Your Voice After Losing It

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Rest your voice

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The most critical step you can take is to stop talking and using your voice at all. Carry a notepad and pencil with you so that you can communicate while your voice is recovering. If you absolutely must talk, talk softly, but do not whisper. Whispering can put even more strain on your vocal cords than regular talking.

If the air is dry, it will make your throat symptoms much worse. Use a humidifier, or simmer a pot of water on the stove to put some humidity in the air. You can also fill the sink with warm water, and place your head over the sink with a towel over top. Breathe in the steam to soothe your throat. A shower or bath can help, too.

You can also drink herbal or green tea with honey to help soothe your throat. Green tea and honey also have anti-inflammatory effects, which can help to reduce your symptoms. Avoid coffee, carbonated drinks, and citrus juice, as they're acidic and can further irritate your throat. The caffeine in coffee and soda can dry out your throat in the long run.

If sinus drainage from a cold is causing your voice loss, this can help keep it under control. Make sure to blow your nose as often as needed, and do not sniffle, as this can only make throat irritation worse.

Stir a half teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water. You can also add a half teaspoon of turmeric to the water. Gargle it in the back of your throat, and don't swallow it. It tastes terrible, but it can help clean and soothe your throat. This is especially effective for a sore throat if you have a cold.

If you have a hard time quitting, use nicotine replacement therapy such as gum, lozenges or transdermal patches. Smoking is terrible for your voice and lungs, and it's even more imperative that you don't smoke when you're sick or having vocal trouble.

If you have a cold, take medications as directed to relieve your symptoms. If you have allergies, take an antihistamine such as Claritin, and try to avoid known allergens. Use saline nasal spray to keep your nasal passages clear and reduce postnasal drip, which often causes a sore throat and raspy voice. Use throat lozenges to soothe your throat.

During peak allergy season, such as in the spring, take your shoes off as soon as you enter your home. You should also take a shower to wash off any allergens, and change your clothes. Make sure to wash your bedding every week, and use mattress and pillow covers. If you're allergic to pollen, keep your windows closed and avoid going outside as much as possible when pollen counts are high. If you must go out during that time, take an antihistamine at least 30 minutes before going out.

If you suspect your voice loss is caused by acid reflux, you'll need to make some diet and lifestyle changes

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Avoid foods that trigger your symptoms, such as acidic foods, carbonated beverages, onions, and spicy or fatty foods. Stick to small, frequent meals and do not eat for a couple of hours before you go to bed. You can also try over-the-counter antacids or acid-blocking medications. If this doesn't work, you should consult a doctor for further testing and treatment.

When Can You Expect to Get Your Voice Back?

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In most cases, it will take anywhere from a few days, up to a week or two to get your voice back to its previous quality, especially if it's caused by a cold or acute irritation

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If you're a professional singer, it is recommended to completely recover before you make another singing engagement. If your schedule will not allow it, consult with an ear, nose, and throat medical specialist before you tackle this potentially dangerous performance. You should not risk damaging your voice any further when all you possibly need is a few more days of rest and treatment.

Questions and Answers

Natural remedies to get a smooth voice?

Below are some natural remedies to properly help you smooth your hoarse voice:

Proper Hydration. One of the factors that make your voice hoarse is dehydration. You need to always hydrate yourself with 8 to 10 glasses of water to maintain the moisture on your vocal cords.

Voice Rest. You need also to find enough time to rest your voice to reduce the inflammation making your voice smoother.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene. Poor oral hygiene mostly leads to bacterial infection in the throat making the voice hoarse. Gargle a glass or warm water with a tablespoon of salt four to five times in a week. The warm water effectively helps in soothing the inflamed tissues and the salt has an antiseptic property which effectively reduces the throat infection.

Steam Inhalation. Steam inhalation also promotes blood circulation and provides moisture making your voice softer. For better results, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil or peppermint oil and inhale the steam to about 5 to 10 minutes.

I want to have a smooth voice when singing?

Vocal smoothing for singing. clear vocal cords.

You can achieve a smooth voice by following these easy tips:

Use a tablespoon of honey. You can take in a tablespoon of honey alone or with hot lemon tea to effectively coat your throat and help you achieve a smoother voice. You can do this right before any vocal performance to help relieve stress and soreness of throat and vocal cords.

Keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking lots of water. Drink more water and steer clear from dairy or any caffeinated or alcoholic drinks which can make you dehydrated. Also, avoid chocolates and other sugary food and beverages.

Get lots of sleep and rest before any vocal performance.

Drink vitamin C supplements to avoid colds and to strengthen the immune system.

Use mentholated throat drops and lozenges. These can effectively soothe and cool down irritated or inflamed vocal cords and throat.

After a cough and cold my voice became so heavy like boys. What should I do?

I was suffering from cold and cough for last week and after that, my voice changed. It has become so hard and heavy.

Rest your voice as much as possible until it gets better. Avoid yelling, singing and whispering. You should use throat lozenges and drink hot tea with honey to soothe your throat. Avoid smoking, pollution, and secondhand smoke.

I have a cough since long time ago, I want to get rid of it?

Cough never goes less but increases always

Make sure to stay hydrated, and drink hot tea with honey to loosen postnasal drip. If you smoke, try to cut back or quit. Try taking a cough suppressant or decongestant occasionally. If you have or had a cold, blow your nose as often as needed so that you're not sniffling. If your air quality is bad, use an air filter or purifier and avoid secondhand smoke. Sleep with your head propped up with pillows. If your cough doesn't go away and you're a smoker, you should see a doctor to rule out conditions such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis or lung cancer. If your cough lasts longer than a month, or if you're losing weight, have a fever or are coughing up blood, make sure to see a doctor as soon as possible.

How to speak louder, my voice is too low?

My voice is too low, and I'm not reading in our classroom loud and this problem I have since 3 years

Speak from the back of your throat and make sure you are using your diaphragm. You have a deep voice, and it may be second nature to speak softer from the front of your throat in an attempt to sound louder, but it has the opposite effect.

I am a professor in one of the institutions in Engineering college

I am getting a negative feedback regarding my voice. Students are saying that my voice is not clear and my teaching is fast. So what are the precautions I have to take sir?

Mumbling is a common result of fast speech. Practice slowing down your speech when you give a lecture. Enunciate your words. Make a copy of your notes to share with the class so that they can follow along and if they misunderstand what you are trying to say they will at least be able to read it. The temptation is there to speak quickly so that you can cram your lesson in a short amount of time but if your students can not understand you then you need to slow things down.

I have a deep voice that is usually very rough in the mornings and as I go longer in the day. I make phone calls and need it to be smoother and "friendlier" if possible?

Just looking to smooth my voice out
Start with hydration, not just by drinking water throughout the day but also using a humidifier in your room at night while you sleep if you live in a dry area. Refer to the other tips above in this wiki for other home remedies.

How can I get pitched voice like Chris Brown?

I always go off tune and my voice has quarrelers, it can't sound better, it is like a bass
To stay in tune a great exercise is to sing and record yourself. Play the recording back and you will easily hear where you are going in and out of key and what may be causing it. One of the reasons you may be going out of tune is because you are trying to sing out of your vocal range so pick songs that you can sing without straining.

How to get rid of my throat problem at the age of 68?

I am a female aged 68 years, since last two years I am losing my voice gradually, now sometimes my voice is 60%, sometimes it goes down to 20 %, doctors say that it is temporary swelling due to emotional feeling, I have lost my mother and father in a gap of 3 months. As I am unmarried and was living with them and now I feel lonely, advice me.

Stress can affect your vocal chords. You also are not communicating out loud as much as you were before.
You can work on your loneliness and your vocal chords by joining a social group in your area that participates in a hobby you are interested in as a group. This way you will be speaking more and gaining interaction and connections with other people.
Also, watch game shows and say the answers out loud when you are alone at home. This will help keep those vocal chords moving.

My voice gets tired very soon, and dry though I sometimes am not suffering from any kind of cold or flu, even I drink too much and I am a unmusical person and I want to learn music and am a public speaker too but this throat ache voice tiredness loses the charm of voice influence, voice suddenly gets heavy.. please suggest some effective home remedies and voice exercises ..Regards?

My voice gets tired very soon, and dry though I sometimes am not suffering from any kind of cold or flu, even I drink too much and I am a unmusical person and I want to learn music and am a public speaker too but this throat ache voice tiredness loses the charm of voice influence, voice suddenly gets heavy.. please suggest some effective home remedies and voice exercises ..Regards. I have tried: Drinking lots of water and honey. I think it was caused by: I don't know

You are a public speaker which means even though you are just speaking, you are adding strain on your vocal chords all day long. Practice vocal exercises and consider adding lemon to your water as well as the honey.

Singing of high notes is now getting too odd for me nowadays as compared to few previous months?

Sir, before few months, I was able to sing complete high notes songs of common musicians/singers, but now I am feeling a little odd to raise my voice to a high note, whenever I am trying my voice it is straining up. I want to know the cause of my problem and want to get rid of this obstacle

If citrus fruits are avoided, then what should I eat in order to get vitamin C?

If citrus fruits are avoided then what should I eat in order to get vitamin C?

Most leafy greens like kale and spinach contain vitamin C. Tomatoes are high in Vitamin C, however, they are also acidic so be careful not to irritate your throat when you consume tomatoes.

I have a jock itch. How to cure it?

I have got jock itch since 3 months. It was gone but reappeared. Please help me solve it. I have tried: Used Gel based medicine. To apply on the part where the issue is.. I think it was caused by: My friend had it before me. We slept together and it got transferred to me I guess.

Since you think you contracted it sexually, it could be an STD or a yeast infection. If these remedies in the articles do not clear up the inflammation and itching then you will need to seek the advice of a medical physician and get a prescription to treat it.

How to clear pollutants (dust, mold from a car air conditioner) from vocal cord?

Hi Jerry, My husband has a sensitivity to mold and dust. I turned on the defogger one night to clear the windows, then the air condition popped on. I didn't realize it at the time. My husband got into the car the air conditioner blow air into his face that may have had mold and mildew trapped in it. My husband got a great bit of that air into his nose and mouth. So for 30 days, he has been complaining about a sore throat and not being able to clear the pollutants from his throat. He is very angry with me and accusing me of not caring. He said that he tried to use apples, apple cider vinegar and gargling with a mouthwash with tea tree oil to clean his vocal cord, but none of it works. He thinks that dangerous mold is multiplying in his vocal cords. Can an allergist help?. Not sure how to help him. He has accused me of doing on purpose. He said that the mold and mildew in the car may cause him to have his voice box removed and that I will cause him to get throat cancer. not sure how to help him. Pollutants may cause a severe health issue. My husband is afraid that the dangerous mold and mildew in the car air condition will cause his death. I have tried: He has tried gargling with tea tree oil mouthwash, raw apple cider vinegar and eating apples to clean the vocal cords. I think it was caused by: He believes it's from mildew and mold coming from my car air conditioner

Hi! This is definitely something bad. First, clean that car and get rid of mildew, mold, dust, mud, dirt, and any type of impurity that might be responsible. In your husband's room, place an air purifier and air humidifier and clean it daily. For his drinking water, take purified water, and boil it till it reaches bubble level. Cool this down and give it your husband. You can also use Aryuveda, which is a form of traditional healing and curing which originated in Kerala, India. He might have to stay there for a few days, based on the situation. Give him some honey mixed with lemon and green tea. It will help his vocal chords. For a gargle, use salt water and turmeric. It may taste bad, but we Indians use it to clean up our throats. Give him some warm water mixed with turmeric every day. Not only will it cleanse his body and allow him to urinate easier and help digestion problems, it also takes away dry skin and impurities that torture our skin. If this does not work, consult an allergist and take prescriptions. Hope this helped! Bye!

My voice is so hoarse that I have a hard time when speaking that sometimes my voice completely disappear?

My voice is so hoarse that I force myself to speak and sometimes it just disappears. No, it is not different from the information in the article. I have tried: Nothing but just looking for a solution through the internet. I think it was caused by: I think its just growing up for I am 19 years old but I also had my tonsils out, and I'm now thinking it may be the cause.

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How can I have a good RnB voice so that I can win a competition next month?

Yes Jerry I am planning to compete for Got talent this year, I won the first edition and I want to win the final, how can I make my voice better or how can I become a better man? It is different because I do not think there is anyone who has ever asked to become a better man in this discussion musically. I have tried: I have won the first competition and I am waiting to win the finals.

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Yes I just want to ask what can I use as a voice clarity to avoid stucks in the throat?

I am a singer so I want to keep my voice always clean and never get tired when I am singing like loosing it quality. It not that differ I just want exact answers that will be straight and based to me. I have tried: Nothing I've tried but lemon and vinegar ............................... I think it was caused by: Smoking weed and cigarette maybe the cause......................................

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How do I get my voice back? I've lost it for 4 weeks. Doctor says it's Singer's Node?

I can't get an appointment with a Voice Therapist. They are all booked! Therapist for adults are hard to find, but not for Children. I am 72 years old and need help to get my voice back. Can you help me? I've already been given Prednisone for 5 days and a 5 day super pack antibiotic. My health seems fine, but no voice ability.